Minimally invasive procedures involve indirect observation of a surgical field through an endoscope or similar device inserted through an incision or a natural anatomical opening. Endoscopes provide platforms for employing numerous tools, such as minimally-invasive surgical instruments, e.g., to sever, remove, examine, and/or otherwise manipulate objects from inside the body. The item to be retrieved can be a natural object, such as a blood clot, tissue, stone, or polyp; or a foreign object, such as a coil, stent, or guidewire.
Most of the instruments employed for minimally invasive procedures, perform a single function by design, and may need to be exchanged with a second device if another function is to be performed during the endoscopic procedure.
Single function instruments increase the cost of the surgery because they increase the procedure time due to exchanges, handling time and increase the number of instruments needed to complete the surgery. Exchanging instruments during a procedure may further cause inaccuracies in the placement and location of the distal tip within the body lumens, disrupt a surgeon's concentration, and add to the procedure time. These factors risk patient's safety. In addition, where disposable instruments are used, using multiple devices for the same procedure may increase waste.
Thus, there exists a need for multi-functional end-effectors having critical multi-functional capability at a critical time during procedures, allowing safer, quicker, and efficient medical procedures.